What is fluoride and should you remove it from your drinking water?
Fluoride is a mineral released from rocks into our water, air, and soil. Fluoride ions are derived from fluorine, a gas that doesn’t occur in a free state of nature. Since the mid-1940s, compounds containing mineral fluoride have been added to drinking water in the United States to prevent cavities.
Once fluoride is added to the water supply, it can’t be altered — everyone receives the same dose of fluoride despite differences in weight, health, age, and need. However, even at low doses, fluoride is known to have toxic properties. Many people already exceed the daily recommended amount through toothpaste alone.
While the topic of fluoride in drinking water is controversial, research points to fluoride being more harmful than beneficial with various organizations urging the removal of fluoride additives:
- Some studies found that fluoride accumulation may cause bones to be brittle and more prone to fractures.
- A handful of studies have shown that fluoride exposure can impact thyroid function in some individuals.
- One study shows that fluoride in water could increase hypothyroidism risk.
Fluoride may also pose a threat to our environment because the majority of water is flushed down the drain.
How to remove fluoride from water with reverse osmosis
Reverse osmosis works by forcing water through a semi-permeable membrane that only allows water molecules to pass through. Since fluoride is larger than a water molecule, it gets trapped during the filtration process.
As a result, reverse osmosis is one of the only filtration methods capable of removing fluoride — and many people purchase an RO system specifically for this reason. However, it should be noted that not all RO systems actually remove fluoride at the same level, so make sure to read the details to see how much fluoride a system removes.
All ROs use the semi-permeable filtration process mentioned above. But if you want your system to reduce more contaminants in addition to fluoride, it’s important to read up on the other filtration processes. For example, the Aquasana SmartFlow® Reverse Osmosis uses three types of filtration technology to reduce 90 contaminants total. With a carbon media, this system reduces other harmful contaminants such as chlorine, lead, and microplastics. A patented technology, called SmartFlow®, uses the semi-permeable membrane stage to reduce fluoride, arsenic, PFOA/PFOS, and more.
Because fluoride is such a tough contaminant to reduce, it’s important to double-check that a system is tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standard 58. This standard is specific to reverse osmosis systems and the reduction of fluoride. Additionally, look for a performance data sheet online that shows you exactly how much fluoride is reduced. The Aquasana SmartFlow® Reverse Osmosis posts their contaminant reduction in an easy-to-read chart that has the Water Quality Association seal, meaning it was tested and certified to NSF standards.
How much fluoride does reverse osmosis remove?
The amount of fluoride removed will vary from system to system, which is why you should adequately research RO systems before choosing one.
Aquasana’s SmartFlow® Reverse Osmosis system removes 90% of fluoride and reduces the presence of an additional 89 contaminants including chlorine and chloramines (chlorine + ammonia disinfectant), pharmaceuticals, arsenic, cadmium, lead, mercury, herbicides, pesticides, and asbestos among others. Reverse osmosis filters are so effective that they tend to remove healthy minerals as well, which is why Aquasana’s RO system includes a re-mineralizer so you can have better-tasting and safer drinking water without missing out on any health benefits.
Are there other water filters that remove fluoride?
Most water filters on the market do not effectively filter out fluoride. Aside from reverse osmosis, there are a couple of other filters that can remove fluoride but with some caveats.
- Activated alumina filters can adsorb fluoride and other contaminants but they only work at a pH of less than 8.5, being most effective at removing fluoride from water at pH 5 and 6. Most drinking water lies between a pH of 6.5 to 8.5.
- Bone char carbon filters can also remove fluoride from drinking water (not to be confused with activated carbon filters) — made from heating animal bones to extreme temperatures, fluoride and other contaminants can be captured or altered by adsorption.
- Distillation is a method that can also remove fluoride as it converts water into steam and fluoride cannot take on a gaseous state. Once the water is back in its liquid form, it’s free of contaminants. However, it consumes a large amount of energy with a slow output.
Reverse osmosis water filters are the most effective and convenient way to remove fluoride from your drinking water.
Choose the right reverse osmosis system to remove fluoride effectively
When it comes to choosing the right reverse osmosis system, consider the number of contaminants it removes, its certifications, whether it can remove fluoride and how much, and whether it can add back minerals. Our SmartFlow® Reverse Osmosis system is WQA tested and certified to NSF/ANSI Standards 42, 53 (includes P473), 58, 401, and CSA B483.1 to remove 99.9% of 90 contaminants and 90% of fluoride.
Our easy-installation filtration system delivers cleaner, healthier, fluoride-free drinking water without stripping water of its healthy minerals. Traditional reverse osmosis systems remove naturally occurring trace minerals, but the Aquasana SmartFlow® Reverse Osmosis adds them back in with remineralization technology which helps it stand apart from the competition.
UNDER SINK WATER FILTER
SmartFlow® Reverse Osmosis
High-efficiency reverse osmosis system removes up to 99.99% of 90 contaminants, including fluoride, arsenic, chlorine, and lead.
